Nongame Fish, Reptile, Amphibian and Aquatic Invertebrate Regulations

General

It shall be unlawful to take, possess, import,
cause to be imported, export, cause to be
exported, buy, sell, offer for sale or liberate
within the Commonwealth any wild animal
unless otherwise specifically permitted by
law or regulation. Albino reptiles and
amphibians and domestic animals may be
imported, possessed, and sold. A list of
domestic animals and the Department's
official listing of "Native and Naturalized Fauna of Virginia" is available from this website and Department offices.

Fish bait: minnows and chubs
(Cyprinidae), salamanders (less than 6
inches), crayfish, and hellgrammites-
50 in aggregate (all species combined)
unless said person has purchased fish
bait and has a receipt specifying the number of individuals purchased by
species. Note:Madtoms, crayfish, and
salamanders cannot be bought or sold.

Bullfrogs - 15 per day. Snapping turtles - 5 per day, only from
June 1 to September 30. Cannot be taken from the banks or waters
of designated stocked trout waters.

Native amphibians and reptiles that are
captured within the Commonwealth
and possessed live for private use and
not for sale may be liberated under the
following conditions:

Period of captivity does not exceed 30 days;

Animals must be liberated at the site of capture;

Animals must have been housed separately from other wild-caught and domestic animal; and

Animals that demonstrate symptoms of disease or illness or that have sustained injury during their captivity may not be released.

Methods to Capture or Take

General Methods:

Except as provided for under "Other
Methods" and except in any waters
where the use of nets is prohibited, the
species listed in the previous section
(Possession Limits) may only be taken
by hand, hook and line, with a seine not
exceeding 4 feet in depth by 10 feet in
length, an umbrella-type net not exceeding
5 by 5 feet square, small minnow
traps with throat openings no
larger than 1 inch in diameter, cast nets,
and handheld bow nets with diameter
not to exceed 20 inches and handle
length not to exceed 8 feet.

Gizzard shad and white perch may also
be taken from below the fall line in all
tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay using
a gill net in accordance with Virginia
Marine Resources Commission recreational
fishing regulations.

Bullfrogs may also be taken by gigging
or bow and arrow and from private
waters by firearms no larger than .22
caliber rimfire. Taking bullfrogs with a
gig, .22 caliber rimfire, or bow and
arrow requires a hunting license.

Snapping turtles may be taken for personal
use with hoop nets not exceeding
6 feet in length with a throat opening not exceeding 36 inches.
Taking turtles by hook and line require
s a fishing license.

Other Methods:

It is illegal to use SCUBA (Self-contained
Underwater Breathing Apparatus)
gear to take or attempt to take fish.

Trot Lines, juglines (noodles) or set poles
(limb lines) may be used to take nongame
fish and turtles provided they are not baited
with live bait (worms are permissible), except
on designated stocked trout waters,
Department-owned lakes, and within 600
feet of any dam. Live bait other than game
fish may be used on trot lines to take catfish
in Carroll, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery,
Pulaski and Wythe counties, and in
the Clinch River in Russell, Scott, and Wise
counties.
Any person setting or possessing the
above equipment shall have it clearly marked
by permanent means with his or her name,
address, and telephone number, and is required
to check all lines and remove all fish
and animals caught each day.
Remove all trotlines, juglines, or set
poles from public waters when not in use.
Additional requirements for juglines
(also called "noodles"): Defined as a single
hook, including one treble hook, and line
attached to a float. Jugline/noodle sets on
public waters shall be restricted to 20 per
angler and must be attended (within sight)
by anglers at all times. Also, in addition to
being labeled with the angler's name, address
and telephone number, jugs/noodles
shall also be labeled with a reflective marker
that encircles the jugs/noodles to allow for
visibility at night.

Bow and Arrow (including crossbows) may
be used to take common carp, northern
snakehead, and gar (fishing license required)
during day and night hours (24 hrs.), except
from waters stocked with trout. Bowfin and
catfish may be taken in tidal waters (below
Fall Line, see page 8). Spearguns and
poisoned arrows are prohibited. Snakehead
must be immediately killed and reported to
DGIF.

Snagging, grabbing, snaring, gigging, and
the use of a striking iron are legal methods
to take nongame fish in certain waters in
certain counties as follows (see creel and length limits table (PDF) for certain nongame fish limits):

In the waters of the following counties
[except public impoundments, the
Roanoke (Staunton) and Dan Rivers,
and those waters stocked by the Department]: Amelia, Appomattox,
Brunswick, Campbell, Charlotte,
Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland
(except James River), Greensville,
Halifax, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg,
Nottoway, Pittsylvania, and
Prince Edward.

From April 1 through May 15 and October
1 through November 30 during the
daytime in the following waters:
Buchanan County, all waters except
Dismal River; Grayson County, New
River; Lee County, Powell River; Russell
County, Clinch River; Scott County,
Clinch River and its tributaries; Tazewell
County, Dry Run Creek; Wise County,
Clinch River; and Washington County,
Middle Fork and South Fork of the
Holston River. Creel limit: 20 suckers
per day.

Snagging for carp and suckers during
April in Wolf and Big Walkers Creek in
Giles County.

Snagging for carp and suckers in Walkers
Creek, Wolf Creek and the North
Fork of the Holston in Bland County.

Bow and arrow and gigging for carp
year-round in the Shenandoah River.

Shooting with a rifle for suckers and
carp from April 15 to May 31 during
daylight hours in the shoals of the
Clinch River within the limits of Scott
County, except that it shall be unlawful
to shoot fish on Sunday or within the
limits of any town, or from any bridge.
Fishing license is required. Creel limit:
20 per day.

Dip nets may be used to take shad, herring,
mullet and suckers except in designated
stocked trout waters, Department-owned or
controlled lakes, in certain waters where
anadromous shad and herring cannot be
possessed (see creel and length limits table (PDF) for shad and
herring limits), and as restricted below. The
user and all helpers (regardless of age) must
have dip net permits ($4.50) or valid fishing
license. Permits are valid in the county's
inland waters for which issued. All other fish
species taken are to be immediately
returned to the water alive.

Herring: The Virginia Marine Resources Commission
enacted a ban on the possession
of river herring in tidal waters,
effective January 1, 2012, due to the collapse of the stock and in order to
comply with an Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission directive.

Suckers Taken with Dip Nets: Limit of 20 per day.
Season: February 15- May 15.
Dip nets shall not be more than 6 feet
square. Dip net permits are not required
for taking suckers in Brunswick,
Greensville, and Sussex counties.

Nets and Seines are prohibited while fishing
in designated stocked trout waters and for
taking fish from Department-owned or controlled
lakes, except as otherwise posted
(see creel and length limits table (PDF) for certain nongame fish limits). Only those nets and seines listed
under general methods to capture or take
nongame fish (above) can be used in the
public waters of the Roanoke (Staunton) and
Dan rivers in Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax
and Pittsylvania counties, and in the City of
Danville. Seines, nets, and traps are also
prohibited in Lick Creek in Smyth and Bland
counties, Bear Creek in Smyth County, Laurel
Creek and tributaries upstream of Highway
16 bridge in Tazewell and Bland counties,
Hungry Mother Creek above Hungry Mother
Lake in Smyth County, Susong Branch and
Mumpower Creek in Washington County
and the City of Bristol, and Timbertree
Branch in Scott County. However, these restrictions
do not prohibit the use of a handlanding
net to land fish legally hooked.
Seasons and local restrictions governing the
use of nets and seines are complex. Persons
deciding to try this type of fishing should
contact the closest VDGIF regional office for
more information.

Areas Restricted

Mollusks: Unlawful to take the spiny riversnail
(Io fluvialis) in the Tennessee drainage
in Virginia (Clinch, Powell and the North,
South and Middle Forks of the Holston rivers
and tributaries). It shall be unlawful to take
mussels from any inland waters in Virginia.

Salamanders: Unlawful to take salamanders
in Grayson Highlands State Park and on
National Forest lands in the Jefferson National
Forest in those portions of Grayson,
Smyth and Washington counties bounded on the east by Rt. 16, on the north by
Rt. 603, and on the south and west by Rt. 58.

All other non-native (exotic) amphibians,
fish, aquatic invertebrates, and reptiles
not listed above may be possessed,
purchased, and sold, provided that such
animals shall be subject to all applicable
local, state, and federal laws and regulations,
including those that apply to threatened/
endangered species, and further provided
that such animals shall not be liberated
within the Commonwealth.